HECS/HELP Repayment Calculator
See what your study loan actually costs this year — Fin works it out on the marginal system, and shows what the next $1,000 you earn adds.
Taxable income plus reportable super, reportable fringe benefits, net investment loss and exempt foreign income — broader than taxable income alone.
- Repayment threshold
- $69,528
- Rate above $69,528
- 15%
- Next $1,000 you earn costs
- $150
Indicative only, not tax advice. This is the compulsory repayment the tax system collects — not your loan balance, indexation or voluntary repayments.
How HECS repayments work in 2026-27
You repay nothing until your repayment income passes $69,528. Above that, the rate applies only to the income above the threshold — not to everything you earn. That changed in 2025-26, and it matters: under the old whole-of-income system, one extra dollar could move your entire income to a higher rate and cost you hundreds. It cannot any more.
| Repayment income | Rate | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Up to $69,528 | Nil | No compulsory repayment |
| $69,529 – $129,716 | 15% | Income above $69,528 |
| $129,717 – $186,050 | 17% | Income above $69,528 |
| $186,051 and above | 10% | Your total repayment income |
General information, not tax advice. Thresholds are indexed each year — check your own position with the ATO or your accountant.
HECS — common questions
What is the HECS repayment threshold for 2026-27?
You start making compulsory HECS/HELP repayments once your repayment income passes $69,528 in 2026-27. Below that, nothing is withheld. The ATO indexes the threshold each year.
How is the HECS repayment calculated now?
Since 2025-26 the ATO uses a marginal system: the rate applies only to income above the threshold, not to your whole income. In 2026-27 that is 15% on the income above $69,528 up to $129,716, then 17% from $129,717 to $186,050, reverting to a flat 10% on your total income once you reach $186,051.
Will a pay rise push my whole income into a higher HECS rate?
No, not since the 2025-26 reform. Under the old whole-of-income system a single extra dollar could move your entire income to a higher rate and cost you hundreds. Under the marginal system a pay rise only ever increases the repayment on the extra income.
What counts as repayment income?
Repayment income is broader than taxable income. It is your taxable income plus reportable superannuation contributions, reportable fringe benefits, net investment loss and exempt foreign income. Salary sacrificing into super does not reduce it.
Does this calculator show my HECS balance?
No. This shows the compulsory repayment the tax system collects for the year. It does not cover your outstanding loan balance, annual indexation or any voluntary repayments you make.
Is HECS indexed every year?
Yes. Your outstanding balance is indexed on 1 June each year, and the repayment thresholds are indexed separately. This calculator uses the current published thresholds and does not project future indexation.
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Did you know?
A tub of Chobani yoghurt became taxable purely because it came with a separate pouch of cookie and white-chocolate pieces — making it a 'combination food'.
In a 16 June 2023 ruling the Administrative Appeals Tribunal sided with the Tax Commissioner that Chobani's Flip Strawberry Shortcake yoghurt, sold with baked cookie and white-chocolate bits, was a taxable combination food rather than GST-free plain yoghurt.
Source: HWL Ebsworth — Case alert: Tribunal finds yoghurt combination not GST-free ↗Tampons were taxed at 10% as a non-essential item for nearly two decades while condoms, sunscreen and lubricant were GST-free — until the 'tampon tax' was finally scrapped in 2019.
After a campaign of nearly two decades, Commonwealth, state and territory treasurers unanimously agreed on 3 October 2018 to make menstrual products GST-free from 1 January 2019, giving up about $30 million a year in revenue.
Source: TIME — Australia Ditches Controversial 'Tampon Tax' After Outcry ↗Know your whole tax position
HECS is one line of it. Connect your bank and Fin tracks your income, deductions and tax through the year — so June holds no surprises. Free to start, no card needed.
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